• STEP 1- Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper cases.
• STEP 2- Beat both the sugars and butter with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, beating well in between each addition. Sieve in the flour and cocoa, add a pinch of salt and fold in briefly until combined. Stir in the vanilla and the soured cream.
• STEP 3- Divide the mixture between the cases, and bake for 20-25 minutes until well risen, and spring back when gently pressed. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.
• STEP 4 – Beat the butter, icing sugar, cocoa powder, heavy cream, salt, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 1 full minute. Add 1/4 cup more icing sugar or cocoa powder if frosting is too thin or another Tablespoon of cream if frosting is too thick. Taste. Beat in another pinch of salt if desired.
• STEP 5- Fit a piping bag with a star nozzle, and place flat on the work surface. Put the white icing into the piping bag in a few dollops in the middle of the bag, where it’s still fairly wide. Place the yellow over the top of the white. Lift the piping bag up by the wide end, and squeeze both colours down evenly so they are side by side right down to the nozzle.
• STEP 6- Pipe swirls of the icing over the cupcakes, and add a halved crème egg into icing to stick on. Will keep for three-four days in an airtight container.

• STEP 1 – Start with the first dough the afternoon before you need it. Mix together the strong bread flour, sugar, butter, starter and 88ml of water in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix for 15 minutes until you have a velvety dough that comes away clean from the sides of the bowl, add the egg yolks and keep mixing until you have a smooth dough. Cover and leave to rise overnight for 10-11 hours or until it has tripled in volume. This step is incredibly important so don’t rush it.
• STEP 2 – After the dough has risen, add the additional 100g of flour for the second dough to the first batch, tipping back into the stand mixer and kneading for 10 minutes to reactivate the gluten. Once an elastic dough is formed, add the sugar, honey, vanilla and citrus zests from the second dough. Mix thoroughly.
• STEP 3 – Add one of the egg yolks and 1 tsp of salt, and mix well until fully combined. Add the butter in four additions, mixing well between each addition, then mix until the dough is coming away clean from the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining egg yolk and mix again. Add 20ml of water and mix until the dough is smooth, shiny and comes away clean from the sides of the bowl. Add the candied orange cubes to the dough and mix in thoroughly.
• STEP 4 – Butter an Italian dove cake tin or paper mould (or use a buttered and lined 22cm springform cake tin). Carefully remove the dough from the bowl and put into the mould, teasing into the shape. Leave to rise for another 2-3 hours or until the dough increases in volume reaching the edge of the mould.

• STEP 5 – Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. As you wait for the oven to heat up, make the icing for the cake. Whisk the egg white with the cornflour until frothy and brush over the top of the bread. Sprinkle over the caster sugar, pearl sugar and almonds. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Creme Egg Brownies

For an alternative to traditional simnel cake, indulge sweet tooths with an choco-tastic Crème Egg brownies.